Why I Love Summer

1) My birthday: Seriously, growing up I hated having a summer birthday. Most of my friends were out of town and so my birthday parties were always small (which in retrospect I'm sure my parents appreciated). But now I love having my birthday during the time of year that I'm practically guaranteed to have nice weather. I like that Scott's birthday is in July too. It's neat having birthdays so close together.

2) Gardens: What is better than making a salad and you only have to go as far as your backyard for the ingredients? Not much comes to mind. I've never been a big fan of veggies, usually only eating them because I should, not because I enjoy them. That totally changes in the summer when the garden is bursting with lettuce, tomatoes, zucchini, corn, potatoes, onions, cucumbers, peppers, etc. It tastes so much better than anything you can buy at the store.

3) Fresh Fruit: The northwest has the most amazing berries ever. One in particular, the marionberry, is something that I've really grown to love. I'd never heard of it before I moved here, but it's a cross between a raspberry and a blackberry, juicy and delicious. But berries aren't the only fruit up here - I could eat fresh NW fruit (watermelon, canteloupe, cherries, grapes, pears, apples, etc) for every meal during the summer. During the summer if you take a hike in the woods (or even walk through a rural neighborhood) the air smells like wild blackberries. Nothing smells better than a warm forest in the NW in August. Ahhh, heaven.

4) First Tuesdays at the Zoo: The zoo here has $2.00 admission on this day and small children are free. Such a cheap way to get out and let the kids have a ball at the zoo!

5) Free movies for kids: The movie theater near our house has a summer program all summer where Tues-Thurs they show children's movies for free. There's always one for the young kids and one for the older kids to enjoy so parents can choose what's appropriate for their children. They start early enough to avoid interfering with naptime too, which is a big plus.

6) Swimming: I love that Mister is finally learning to swim since he has no fear of the water. We practically live at our clubhouse swimming pool all summer long. There's nothing like the smell of chlorine and sunblock to make you think "Ahhh, summer!" Plus I like to get a little sun myself to work off the palor acquired from long months of gray skies up here.

7) Vacations: Yes, you can take vacations any time of year, but it's not guaranteed you'll have nice weather and I like to be able to enjoy my vacations outdoors, without getting rained or hailed on, preferably. So I like to take vacations in the summer and, if only for a week, feel like a kid again having a real "summer vacation". This summer we are going to Montana with Scott's family. All the siblings and cousins (and parents) will be together at a cabin on Swan Lake. Boating, swimming, playing on the beach, roasting marshmallows and making s'mores..... Sounds divine!

8) 4th of July: I love this holiday. It's so humbling to think back on the history of how our country came to be and what the founding fathers went through to gain our independence from England. I can't ever sing The Star Spangled Banner without getting the chills. Plus the fireworks up here are awesome! :)

9) More light: Being that we live so far north, we get the dark and dreary winters where the sun sets and is pitch black by 5:00. But that means we also get the long, glorious summer days that start at 5:30 am and last until nearly 10pm. Granted that means that children get up earlier than normal and bedtime becomes a challenge, but it's soooo worth it!

10) Family and Friends: There's just something about being with family and friends, having a BBQ, eating outdoors and enjoying time together under the sun. Warm temperatures, warm memories.